The Conspiracy to Cover Up the Sexual Abuse of Children Under C.J. Mahaney Grows as Shannon Truesdale Comes Forward to Tell Story of Abuse by Her Father & Sister

Overview 

Jeff Truesdale, the father of Shannon Truesdale, was a prominent member of Covenant Life Church in Gaithersburg, MD from its beginning in 1977 until he left 37 years later in 2014.  He knew senior pastor C.J. Mahaney extremely well and was good friends with all the pastors on staff.  

Truesdale prided himself in being the unofficial historian and archivist for the church.  He documented its history in photographs which you can view on his Facebook page.  This one is from May 1977 when Gathering of Believers (aka Covenant Life Church) was started.  A charting of the photo follows.  Mahaney is #13.  Truesdale is #59.

I met Truesdale in 1982 when he attended a year-long Leadership Training School I conducted for Covenant Life Church (CLC).  We were not close friends but I knew him over the years.  After I sent out The Documents in July 2011, he was one of my sources at CLC.  He was deeply offended (along with hundreds of other members) when C.J. Mahaney fled CLC in August 2011 and escaped to Mark Dever’s Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington D.C. when issues of sin were being addressed in his life. 

Truesdale was an esteemed member of the church but in reality he lived a double life of lying, drinking, getting stoned, and sexually abusing his oldest daughter, Suzanne for approximately eight years.  Suzanne, in turn, sexually abused her younger sister, Shannon for seven years.  Shannon is the one who has come forward to tell her story. 

Moreover, Suzanne was also abused by Steve Griney, a teacher in the Covenant Life Elementary School.  All this was known to Mahaney and members of his pastoral staff.  Rather than prosecute Griney or her father, Suzanne was told to “forgive and forget” by the Covenant Life pastors.   

In like fashion, Shannon was told by her mother not to tell a soul about Suzanne’s abuse of her.  As a result, she suffered greatly and received no professional help until she sought it at age 21. 

In addition, Suzanne was present on two occasions when John Loftness, Gary Ricucci (Mahaney’s brother in law) and Steve Griney acted together in committing crimes against her, Heather Thompson-Bryant, and Jessica Roberts-Thomas.  

In summary, Mahaney and his staff covered up the crimes committed by Truesdale and Griney because they were friends and well-known church members.  They did the same with the crimes committed by Suzanne against her sister, Shannon.  So too the despicable acts carried out by Loftness and Ricucci. 

The conspiracy to commit and cover up the sexual abuse of children under Mahaney is a matter of fact, not fiction!  This is another account of incomprehensible evil. 

Shannon Truesdale Contacts Me in 2014 

Seven years ago, Shannon contacted me on Facebook.  She was following my coverage of the sex abuse scandal and began to tell me about her abuse but not all of it.  She was age 30.  Here is our conversation.  It adds tremendous credibility to what she is saying now.  She is not making anything up.  I’ve added explanatory notes in brackets [ ]. 

Tuesday, March 25, 2014
3:08pm
Shannon Truesdale
Brent Detwiler, a name I’ve known my whole life.  I am but one of the many stories of pastor said vs what I said and the great sgm [Sovereign Grace Ministries] won.  I have lost friends, mentors, and damaged my relationship with my family in leaving the great sgm. 

3:24pm
Brent Detwiler
Hi Shannon...thanks for the note.  Of course, I know your mom and dad but I probably never met you.  How old are you now?  Do you still live in the area? 

3:29pm
Shannon Truesdale
I am 30, I just moved to Las Vegas with my partner of 2½ years 

3:31pm
Brent Detwiler
Las Vegas – that’s a big change.  What did you do to get booted out of SGM?  I think you know my story. 

3:37pm
Shannon Truesdale
it started slowly.  I questioned the practices and authority that was never to be questioned.  I ended up meeting with a pastor for issues with self harm and depression.  pastor said I should repent and those sins would go away. 

[Note: Shannon met with CLC pastor Jon Smith from 2005-2007.  Later she wrote me, “I told John Smith about my molestation in counseling sessions starting in 2005.  I am sure I also told him about Jeff molesting Suzanne.”  Smith reported to Loftness about the matter.  

Six years later, Smith left CLC after the SAC was filed on May 14, 2013.   Three months later on August 4, he preached at Solid Rock Church where Loftness was the senior pastor.  An audacious move given Loftness was the central figure in the SAC.]  

3:38pm
Brent Detwiler
Real helpful counsel...I’m glad you didn’t “go away” and take your life.  Are you doing better now or still struggle? 

3:38pm
Shannon Truesdale
they didn’t.  after 2 years of meetings and refusing to follow blindly anymore I was put under church discipline.  josh [Joshua Harris] announced my name from the pulpit at a members only meeting that I was not allowed to attend.  my family was prayed over and I was blacklisted. 

3:39pm
Brent Detwiler
What did they discipline you for if you want to tell me?  No pressure. 

3:39pm
Shannon Truesdale
I will say I wasn’t following the beliefs or sgm, or the bible really.  I was living with my [male] partner at the time and continued to question the pastors and not attend on sundays
leaving was the best thing that ever happened to me 

3:41pm
Brent Detwiler
That’s perfectly fine [not telling me more].  What do you think of the sexual abuse stuff in CLC? 

3:41pm
Shannon Truesdale
I have never been happier.  I still haven’t come to find another church I could trust
I believe it.  I was sexually molested for years as a child [from ages 5-11 by her older sister, Suzanne]  

3:42pm
Brent Detwiler
Great to hear about never been happier!
Really glad.
Molested by someone in CLC? 

3:43pm
Shannon Truesdale
Yes  

3:44pm
Brent Detwiler
That is horrible.  Breaks my heart.  Someone you trusted? 

3:44pm
Shannon Truesdale
Yea 

3:44pm
Brent Detwiler
Have you talked to police about it? 

3:44pm
Shannon Truesdale
I have done my best to move forward.  still broken but I have forgiven her 

3:45pm
Brent Detwiler
Her? 

3:45pm
Shannon Truesdale
we were both under 18
yes it was a female
not common I know 

3:45pm
Brent Detwiler
Where did she learn to abuse?  I assume she was abused herself? 

3:46pm
Shannon Truesdale
Yes [by her father, Jeff Truesdale and her Covenant Life elementary teacher, Steve Griney] 

3:47pm
Brent Detwiler
It’ amazing how widespread the abuse was (I hope not is) at CLC.
Were other friends or family members abused also? 

3:49pm
Shannon Truesdale
It’s not an easy topic to talk about as you can imagine [she was not ready to tell me everything]  

3:49pm
Brent Detwiler
I’m sure not. 

3:50pm
Shannon Truesdale
I am one of few who have done somewhat of a decent job at restoring the years the locusts harvested
what happened was reprehensible 

3:50pm
Brent Detwiler
There are things I find very hard to talk about because no one would believe me in all likelihood.  

3:51pm
Shannon Truesdale
I hold her Responsible for her actions she knew better and she took advantage of the power she held of me [Suzanne is six years older than Shannon] 

3:51pm
Brent Detwiler
Did she abuse other girls also? 

3:51pm
Shannon Truesdale
yes she was also abused but she should have known even more so the danage [damage]
I did my best to protect those around me [like her younger sister, Shari] and keep her attention on me and no one else 

3:52pm
Brent Detwiler
Do you know who abused her?  An adult I assume.  I hope not her father.
Did the CLC pastors know about this girl’s abuse of you? 

3:54pm
Shannon Truesdale
it came to light more than 10 years [2005] after the abuse ended [1995] [Shannon told Jon Smith & her younger sister about it in 2005]  

3:54pm
Brent Detwiler
God bless you for trying to protect other girls from her abuse! 

3:54pm
Shannon Truesdale
I was told to forgive [repeatedly used by CLC pastors to silence victims and conceal crimes]
I wish I could get into specifics of who and names but I don’t want to open up the past again [she wanted to talk but wasn’t ready].  I do not want legal action taken [against her father & sister]
what purpose would it serve? 

3:57pm
Brent Detwiler
I understand not wanting to open up the horrid past.  Too painful.  

3:58pm
Shannon Truesdale
statistics are 1 in 2 women, 1 in 3 men
that’s fact 

3:59pm
Brent Detwiler
I didn’t know much about sex abuse 1½ years ago [Oct. 2012].  I do now.  You are right about the facts. 

3:59pm
Shannon Truesdale
in a cess pool like sgm you can imagine how long predators feasted on young lives
I live with it every day
forgiveness went a long way  

3:59pm
Brent Detwiler
And they pretend nothing happen. 

3:59pm
Shannon Truesdale
but scars remain
josh [Harris] makes me cringe, almost all pastors associated with sgm
and my parents put those blinders back on
they [parents] stay [in CLC] because they do not know better
they said they would never accept me as a lesbian
that its the abuse [the sexual abuse by her sister caused her to become a lesbian]
how dare they ever take away who I am and blame it on a despicable act 

4:04pm
Brent Detwiler
Sorry to hear about the stuff with mom and dad.
No fun being alienated under any circumstances.
What do you think of Griney?
Do you know anyone he abused?
The stuff he is accused of is every so serious.  Do you think it is true? 

4:11pm
Shannon Truesdale
why would a grown adult [Heather Thompson-Bryant] single out a random man [Steve Griney] who has had many strokes and accuse him of heinous crimes [in the lawsuit] without being serious?
I believe her 

4:11pm
Brent Detwiler
Believe who? 

4:12pm
Shannon Truesdale
I feel like my childhood has been forever tainted
I believe the accusations 

4:12pm
Brent Detwiler
More like destroyed. 

4:13pm
Shannon Truesdale
absolutely 

4:13pm
Brent Detwiler
I guess you mean Chuck Thompson’s daughter [Heather] 

4:13pm
Shannon Truesdale
John loftness was my parents pastor 

[Note: Jeff and Siri met with Loftness in 1996 when Suzanne told Siri about Jeff’s abuse of her.  Jeff “confessed” his crimes.  Loftness covered them up.  An investigation of Truesdale would have led to an investigation of Loftness.] 

4:13pm
Brent Detwiler
I was pretty good friends with Chuck and Sandy [Heather’s parents].

4:13pm
Shannon Truesdale
Gary ricucci was very close with my dad 

[Note: Ricucci is Mahaney’s brother-in-law.  He was a pastor on Mahaney’s staff and knew about the abuse by Truesdale.  He likewise covered it up.]

4:15pm
Brent Detwiler
I’m with you.  I think the evidence against these guys is strong.

4:15pm
Shannon Truesdale
what is worse is the fact many of us were taught to believe men had our best interests.  we were taught to follow blindly and when we went into the world we were set up for abuse.  we were easy prey.
what do you think about Renee tomczak?

4:17pm
Brent Detwiler
I don’t know if she was physically abused [as stated in paragraphs 166-172 in the lawsuit] by her dad [Larry Tomczak] but I wouldn’t doubt it.  I do know she was emotionally abused by him and Doris [her mother].  They never liked Renee and they treated her with contempt.

4:17pm
Shannon Truesdale
evil deeds are being shouted from the rooftop
why did they adopt her?
what a perfect example of why I no longer attend church or believe much of what was crammed down my throat byen [by men] with evil on their hands

4:20pm
Brent Detwiler
I don’t know their hearts for certain but I think it was at least partially motivated out of desire for recognition that they were incredible Christians who were willing to adopt [from South Korea] when it was still rather novel.  They “publicized” the adoption.  It brought recognition.
Do you know Renee?
Do you think Griney abused other children besides the Thompson girl?  I can’t imagine he limited himself to her?

4:23pm
Shannon Truesdale
only as a kid and briefly then 

4:23pm
Brent Detwiler
She’s (Renee) been through hell too. 

4:23pm
Shannon Truesdale
I am positive there are dozens more [victims] as well as other men [perpetrators]
I hate being silent about my abuse [now, seven years later she is speaking out in public]
I am vocal now and speak about my story to all I can [with friends & extended family]

4:25pm
Brent Detwiler
Do you know Heather Thompson?  You should talk to her.  I can’t imagine any one better from what I read in the lawsuit.  She also got in a lot of trouble with her parents and church.  

4:26pm
Shannon Truesdale
I dont
if you know or speak with her I would be happy to talk to her 

4:27pm
Brent Detwiler
Let me she [see] what I can do.  Do you have a number she can use to call you if I make contact? 

4:28pm
Shannon Truesdale
240-688-xxxx
it is terrifying to talk to someone who knows the abuser [Heather knew her sister, Suzanne] 

4:29pm
Brent Detwiler
I don’t know how she survived what is described in the lawsuit.
You mean Heather knows your abuser?  From what I know and read about Heather she is pretty amazing.

4:31pm
Shannon Truesdale
I mean in general
survivors are resilient
we have more strength than even we knew 

4:32pm
Brent Detwiler
Go girl! 

4:32pm
Shannon Truesdale
😊
I need to finish up work but I will hopefully hear from you later 

4:34pm
Brent Detwiler
I’ll get back to you on Heather.  Get that work done.  Thanks for chatting. 

4:34pm
Shannon Truesdale
thanks for listening 😊 4:35pm

Brent Detwiler
You’re welcome.  I’ll try to get Heather to send you a message on FB.  Then you can work out a time to talk.

4:42pm
Shannon Truesdale
thanks so much 

4:43pm
Brent Detwiler
The least I can do.

This exchange with Shannon took place on March 25, 2014.  Like other victims who have contacted me, she was not ready to tell her story.  I put her in touch with Heather who was the lead plaintiff in the 46 page lawsuit called the Second Amended Complaint.  It can be read here.  It is horrific and true. 

Tragically, it was dismissed for the seven Maryland victims because the seven year statute of limitation had expired and it was dismissed for the four Virginia victims due to an improper filing in the wrong jurisdiction.  The substance of the lawsuit, however, was never ruled upon by a judge or court.  The four institutional Defendants (CLC, CLS, SGM and Sovereign Grace Church of Fairfax) and the ten individual Defendants (Mahaney, Harris, Loftness, Ricucci, et al.) got off on legal technicalities.  

I set it up for Shannon and Heather to talk in 2014.  Heather wrote me before their conversation.  She copied Dan Wright who was a former high ranking FBI agent. 

From: Heather
Sent: Tuesday, March 25, 2014 7:26 PM
To: Dan Wright 
Cc: Brent Detwiler
Subject: Re: Shannon Truesdale

Perfect!  She’s NOT ready to move on, otherwise she wouldn’t have contacted you, Brent.  She’s just not completely ready to disclose her most vulnerable memories....yet....but she has no closure and is feeling the slight tug of needing to get it out there. … 

She [Shannon] has no idea (and won’t) that Suzanne (oldest sister and my classmate) already disclosed her abuse to me 18 months ago, but lied to police about it and refused to “gossip” when questioned.  She [Shannon] knows a lot more, she wants to talk, but she’s gonna test the waters of trust first.  She’s “trying” to desperately move on and wishes she could block it all out, but it’s bubbling up.  She needs to verbally process the abuse in detail, and when she’s comfortable with me, I know she will. … 

Brent, feel free to message her my cell number.  You may tell her that I’m willing to speak to her, and that I’m gonna find her on Facebook and shoot her a message.  This web of abuse is just so complex, and disgusting. … 

Heather could not tell Shannon about Griney’s abuse of Suzanne because he was under  police investigation.  When Heather and Shannon talked in 2014, Shannon talked about her abuse by Suzanne.  She did not talk about her father’s abuse of Suzanne. 

Shannon Goes Public with Her Story of Abuse in Four Videos – November 18 & 23, 2020 

Fast forward seven years to November 2020 (6 months ago).  Shannon is 37.  She is finally ready and speaks out on her Facebook page.  That took great courage.  She recorded four videos.  I have transcribed the audio below.  They can be viewed on her Facebook page at Shannon Clark. 

Video 1
Weds., Nov. 18, 2020 at 11:01 AM 

Hi.  I am going to try and do a live video.  I suck at them but I am going to try.  I just wanted to give a little background on my family’s story so people have a little bit of a perspective.  

I was raised in Maryland by my parents [Jeff & Siri].  I have an oldest sibling, that is a female [Suzanne].  Then I have a brother [Justin] who is three years older than me.  Then there is me.  And then there is my baby sister Shari [six years younger] who has also posted videos. 

Shari and I are the only members of our immediate family that are speaking, that I talk to.  The rest of the family talks to each other but we do not.  We are estranged from them.   

I have not spoken to my oldest sibling in almost seven years.  I chose to cut her out of my life after many years of therapy and processing the abuse that I suffered under her as a child.  And I chose to cut her out of my life.  She herself was abused by my father and she and I do not have a relationship.  

My father molested my older sister a handful of times [according to his deceitful account] when we were younger and she then turned on me when I was about five and molested me from the age of five until about the age of 11. 

The culture that we were raised in, we were part of a very large church [Covenant Life Church] in Maryland.  It was a part of a group of churches known as Sovereign Grace Ministries.  They have since broken apart from that.  There was lawsuits and lots of legal issues stemming from accusations of child abuse, sexual child abuse and other legal issues that they have had to deal with over the years.  It was a very controlling environment.  I believe it had a lot of cult-like practices.  I believe that it fostered abusive behavior.  

I wanted to just give kind of a little bit of a background so that people understand that it was my father that molested my older sister.  My older sister then molested me.  When I was about 15.  I’m sorry.  When I was about 21 [2005], I accidently let it slip about what happened and my little sister [Shari] found out.  And she is the one who posted the first video [on her Facebook page, Nov. 13, 2020].  But I just wanted to clarify so that people understand that she has come out about the video, about my family, but she was not abused sexually herself.  So I hope that kind of answers some questions that some of you had had about our story and what had happened. 

I have memories from the age of 5 to 11 [1989-1995] of my sister molesting me.  I didn’t find out until I was 19 [2003] that she had been the victim of abuse from my father.  I didn’t end up getting therapy until I was 21 [2006].  Started therapy at the age of 21 to processing everything that I had gone through.  I just wanted to give everyone a little bit of a background.  So I know that this video is a little long but I hope that that helps people, explain.  

I am going to try and post a video a little bit later today, answering some more questions some people have had and just to give a little bit more.  I am not going away.  I’m not getting any quieter.  I’m getting stronger.  And everyone whose been so supportive to both Shari and I, it has just been so wonderful to see.  We really appreciate the love and support that we have been getting.  So thank you all.  We definitely need it. 

And I don’t know where this journey is going to take me but I’m not stopping.  I’m not going to be quiet any more.  So, you are going to see more of me. 

Video 2
Weds., Nov. 18, 2020 at 11:09 AM 

I just posted a video explaining my family- a little bit of our background – try to help people get some clarification.  I just wanted to briefly say that the story I was given when I was 19 by my older sister about the abuse that she suffered with my father was that when she was younger my dad on a hand full of occasions when sexually inappropriate with her.  Alcohol was involved every single time and that was pretty much the story that I was given.  

The abuse that I suffered at the hands of my sister from age of 5 to 11 was, continued and progressive.  It was constant.  And it’s been a long time.  A lot of therapy, a lot of processing and I have never been able to rectify what happened.  I know it is very hard to do that.  You can’t when something as heinous as what happened to my family happened. 

My dad said he was always, had alcohol, every time he was inappropriate with my older sister but my dad didn’t stop drinking until about 3 years ago [Dec. 2017].  So he was drinking all through my childhood, well into my adulthood.  

And as far as I am aware, at the age of 11 when the abuse stopped with me, my older sister moved out about six months later.  She was 18 at that time [1995].  She moved out of the house.   I was told to never speak of the abuse.  To not talk about it.  I didn’t speak with pastors.  I did not talk to a therapist.  I did not talk to any religious leader to seek processing with what happened to me.  It was just, “It shouldn’t have happened.  It is not to continue.  We are not going to speak of it again.”  

And yet, my older sister and my father had pastoral counseling [2003] and they worked through the church trying to come to a place of.  I believe they have reconciled, they have relationship currently, and they have come to a place, but I didn’t get that.  I got told to be quiet about it [1995] and to not talk about it and didn’t for 10 years [2005].  

So the issues I have are that his story [Jeff’s] does not make sense that alcohol was your catalyst, but yet you only gave that up three years ago.  And it’s good for them that have been able to get closure and I am happy for them but I was never given that opportunity.  I was told to be quiet and then when I finally came forward and said I am going to take care of myself.  I am going to process the trauma that I endured.  It never really, I did it on my own. 

I moved out of state in 2009.  Moved back in 2010.  Moved out of state again in 2013.  And I have lived out of state away from my family since the end of 2013.  But it’s just.  I can’t sit by any longer and watch my father and my oldest sibling continue to pretend and create a facade of who they are to the world when that is not who they are.   And that’s not how they are.  And that’s not what they have been. 

I believe that your life, how you live it, the actions that you demonstrate, show your character, and I have seen their character enough over the years.  I stopped speaking to my sister when I was right around 30 yrs. old [2014] and I feel that was a long enough time to be around my abuser [Suzanne] and see that the behaviors and the manipulation and control had still not stopped.  And I was not safe to remain connected with them anymore.  

So I just recently have begun that process with my parents.  It is not fun.  It is not easy.  But I am trying to do the best to take care of myself.  And I’m hoping that by stating my truth, stating what happened, stating the truth and what happened, that I will be able to get that closure.  That I will be able to make sure that nobody else will suffer because I just can’t be quiet anymore. [She doesn’t want her father or sister to abuse anyone else.] 

Video 3
Weds., Nov. 18, 2020 at 3:32 PM 

I wanted to take a moment and just let everyone know my thoughts on forgiveness.  I went through a period of forgiveness towards my oldest sibling who abused me when I was 14 years old [1998].  I had a very real poignant moment where I was able to release and allow myself to let what happened in my past go.  And not hold that against my oldest sibling.  

I do not feel that forgiveness means that you forget.  I do not think that forgiveness everything is now back to how it used to be.  What happened between my oldest sibling and I irrevocably changed our relationship and it broke it.  She was never a sister to me.  She never treated me as that.  I always lived under a controlling and manipulative existence with her and I have not seen a change in that behavior.  I have not spoken to her willingly in almost 7 years and I sent her an email very clearly stating my boundaries and she has continued to violate them and cross them.  So when I don’t see change in a person, I don’t see the need to reconcile with them because I don’t feel that I can trust them.  

When you forgive someone that doesn’t mean that everything is going to back.  You can say, “I am going to forgive you and I am going to walk away from you and I am never gone to speak with you again.”  That is within your right and that doesn’t mean you are holding anything against that person.  It simply means for my best interests, and for my best well-being, I need not to have contact with someone who is continuing abusive and destructive behavior.  

So I am not trying to get revenge or because I am bitter and angry.  That’s not why I am doing this.  I am doing this because I am not going to be quiet anymore about my story.  I have every intention of continuing this journey and taking it to the end.  And I just don’t want people to think I am out for ill-will or malice or slander or gossip or spread stuff just because I can or should.  It is because this is what I feel my moral compass is telling me I should do.  So I am going to follow that. 

Video 4
Mon., Nov. 23, 2020 at 8:36 AM 

I’m just about to go down stairs to get ready for my day for a few hours.  I got a really big day today.  I am off today and I have decided to tackle talking and speaking to everyone about more details in what happened.  I have set up appointments with two people who are writing articles for publications.  Bigs things are in the works. 

[Note: Todd Wilhelm posted an article for The Wartburg Watch on Jan. 8, 2021.  I’ve been delayed in completing my article until now.] 

I am excited and I am looking forward to getting my story out.  I’m not backing down.  I am not being quiet anymore.  And I am very happy that people are willing to hear my story.  And I am so appreciative and thankful for everybody who has reached out to me, who has talked to both Shari and I and just let us know you are thinking of us.  That you support us.  It’s been encouraging.  And it is helping hold me.  Knowing I have a community behind me is very comforting.  

I am also hopefully speaking to my mother today so that’s gone to be something really big.  So if everybody could keep me in their thoughts that would be great.  I’ve got a lot of emotions.  A lot of things are coming to light that are even more shocking [Jeff’s abuse of his niece] than what has already been revealed.  So it’s been heavy, and it’s been hard, but it’s been good, and I think that more good is going to come out of it.  So I am going to continue forward and I appreciate the support that I have been receiving and that I continue to receive, and even, there is going to be a lot more to come. 

My Interview of Shannon After the Videos – November 24, 2020 

After these videos were posted, I interviewed Shannon by phone and interacted with her via email.  We planned for me to write an article.  Here are the most relevant excerpts from our two hour conversation.  She had just spoken to her mother, Siri the day before.  It was the first time they talked in six months. 

BRENT:  Tell me about your phone call with your Mom?  

SHANNON: And my Mom basically said, “Oh they have wanted to talk to me, that they are willing to talk to me.”  And I said “That is way too late.”  It has been 20 years of waiting for them to finally talk to me and finally air this out.  It is just too late. … I said “When you found out about what Dad did to Suzanne [1996]…did you even ask me at that time if anything had happened to me?”  She said, “No, I asked your Dad if he had done anything and he said ‘No’ he only did something to Suzanne and so I just believed him.” … So I said, “You didn’t even ask me.  I was 11 years old at that time.  My little sister [Shari] is five years old at that time and you find out and you are doing nothing.  You just listened to the pastors.” 

BRENT: In your videos, you said that it was just a handful of times.  

SHANNON: That is all that we know.  It was over the years.  They never really pinpointed how long it was.  What a specific time was.  It was…never anything specific like it was from this year to this year.  Or it started here.  …  It was just, “He did something a handful of times.”  Never anything more specific than that. 

BRENT: And he was always inebriated when he did it, supposedly, right? 

SHANNON: Right.  Right. 

BRENT: Do you believe the story?  I would not believe the story. … And would you say that Suzanne has a tremendous propensity to lie whenever necessary?  

SHANNON: Absolutely.  

BRENT: Okay.  So really anything she has told you is really suspect? 

SHANNON: As well as my father.  So over the years you see things happen.  No matter how much my Dad wants to act and say the right things, when it comes down to it, his track record kind of dictates otherwise.  He has a huge control issue.  And so when you see this pattern of how he’s saying what needs to be said, but behind closed doors he is living something different.  I mean my Dad smokes marijuana and has since he’s been about the age of 14. … I don’t care.  Do whatever makes you happy.  Right.  Whatever helps you.  I know I smoke marijuana every day [she lives in Colorado where it is legal].  I find it to be beneficial.  That’s great.  But why are you hiding it from your wife.  Why are you not telling her?  Why is she having to get her heart broken just about every five years when she catches you.  

BRENT: Well that’s where I would not, and please feel free to disagree, I would find it highly suspect that Suzanne was just abused a few occasions and the reason she was abused…was primarily due to alcohol. 

SHANNON: 1000 percent [agree].  I’ve been speaking to whomever will speak to me.  I’ve always said if I find one more person.  I’ve always said I don’t believe that I am the only victim [of Suzanne’s] and that Suzanne is the only victim [of Jeff’s].  I don’t believe that at all.  

BRENT: And so are your Mom and Dad basically just saying “Come on Shannon, let’s talk, we can still smooth things out.  You don’t have to go public about all this stuff.”  Is that basically what they are doing? 

SHANNON: I asked my Mom, “I would like an email.  Sorry, I don’t feel comfortable speaking to Dad.  I tried for 20 plus years to talk [1995-2013] about this and I am done.  So I want an email.”  “Shannon we don’t want an email.  We just feel like this is better for a conservation over the phone.  Because you can’t hear tone and inflection.”  I said, “You had 20 years to inflect and use whatever tone you needed.  Now is too late.  You’ve gotten caught.  Your hand in the cookie jar and now you will live with the consequences.”  

BRENT: Did your Mom or Dad ever come to you and say, “What your sister did to you was absolutely heinous, wrong, diabolical.” 

SHANNON: Last night my Mom said, “Well when I found out [1995] about this I thought, I didn’t understand, I didn’t fully understand what she [Suzanne] was telling me.  She said you two were cuddling like you were married.  I didn’t know what that meant.  I didn’t understand what that meant.  I just told you guys to stop it.”  “Did you pull me aside and ask me if I was okay?”  She said, “Well no, Suzanne had told me everything.”  “But how did you know that she had told you everything?”  “Because she did it.”  “You just believed her.” 

BRENT: Has your mother always shown that lack of discernment throughout her life?  Just kind of the Covenant Life…believe the best type approach?  

SHANNON: Uh huh.  Yea.  Yep. 

BRENT: Wow.  Boy your father has really been the hypocrite.  Smoking dope.  Drinking all the time.  Sexually abusing Suzanne. … Well without having to answer with any specificity, her abuse of you went on for six years.  It was consistent.  Was it extensive?  Involved?  

SHANNON:  Yes.  Yes.  How it started was innocent enough.  I remember she was making it a game like we were practicing what would happen when I got married.  How I would be with my husband when we got married.  What that would look like.  How that would be.  Practice so that we could be good at it.  And then the things that we would practice would get more and more intricate and detail and sexual.  

Suzanne was being abused by Jeff from c. 1984 to c. 1992 which overlapped the time frame Shannon was being abused by Suzanne.  Suzanne practiced on Shannon the things she was taught by her wicked and perverted father.  This is what Shannon wrote me last week.  

Wednesday, April 21, 2021
I was abused from at least 1989 until the summer of 1995.  So yes the abuses happening at the same time.  Suzanne was being abused by Jeff and Suzanne was turning and abusing me at the same time.  

Friday, April 23, 2021
But Suzanne’s abuse closely mirrored my abuse which follows the pattern of her repeating what she was taught.  She ended the abuse with Jeff [c. 1992] and continued to abuse me for at least 3 years [1993-1995].  That is what she has maintained with my mother, myself, and others who know. 

Also note, “The things that we would practice would get more and more intricate and detail and sexual.”  It is likely the same sinful progression occurred between Jeff and Suzanne.  Suzanne did to Shannon the things she was taught by her father.  There is no other reasonable explanation. 

BRENT: And do you think she learned that from your Dad?  Do you think that was his MO with her?      

SHANNON: I remember speaking to my Dad when I found out everything [age 19 in 2003] and asking him the hard questions.  A. I don’t want to have a conversation with him at all.  B. I don’t want to know the answers to any of the answers that I am asking.  So you only ask what you absolutely have to know.  And the whole time of course, he is doing the same thing.  “It wasn’t as bad as this.  And it wasn’t as far and as much and only” and whatever qualifying words he can to make you feel like he held back or he had some type of self-control.  Or it was just a confusion or whatever, so you can live with him. 

BRENT: And there is no reason to believe anything he told you.  

SHANNON:  I am doing my own research right now but I don’t believe there was ever just one victim.  And I was speaking with my Dad’s older brother for almost two hours yesterday, and he shared some things with me about what, something that may have happened to another family member [a niece] with my father. … Over the summer, she saw my Dad and she would not look at him.  And she said to him, “I remember what you did to me.”  

According to family members, Truesdale abused his niece sometime between 1975 and 1980 when she was five to ten years old.  This occurred in the basement of a great aunt in Pennsylvania over the Christmas holidays.  The niece is seven years older than Suzanne.]  

BRENT: Oh my.  So do I think there is only one victim?  

SHANNON: No.  

BRENT: I respect what you are doing Shannon so very much.  Yes.  I really, really do.  So when the abuse became known in your family between your Dad and Suzanne [1996], did they go to the pastors and talk about it?  Did they tell anybody else about it?  

SHANNON: So I believe that Care Group leaders were involved and then pastors.  I know that John Loftness knew.  John Loftness was our pastor for many years.  Many, many years.  Okay.  Then we were handled off to a new pastor [in 2006] which I cannot remember his name [Eric Sheffer].  I keep seeing his head in my brain but I cannot tell you what he name was.  He was from the Pastors College.  He graduated and he was part of our church for a very short time when I was a part of it.  But he was also aware.  Adam Malcolm was aware of it.  Joshua Harris, they all were aware and helping us through this whole process.  Only my parents were going to the pastors for counseling [in 1996] because Suzanne moved out and that is what gave her the strength to tell my Mom what had happened.  So she wasn’t even living at home when they were kind of starting all of the whole process.  

BRENT: Right.  And what was the incentive for them to go to the pastors and telling them about it?  

SHANNON: I think my Mom was just going to whoever because she didn’t know what to do.  

BRENT: Okay, so it wasn’t your Dad saying “Okay, I’m ready to confess.”  It was your Mom going.  

SHANNON: Apparently what happened was Suzanne confessed to my Mom [1996].  My Mom went to my Dad [about his abuse of Suzanne].  And then my Dad was like okay.  And that is my Dad’s MO.  My Mom catches him smoking, “What are you doing?  What is this?”  Then it is, “Oh my gosh, I don’t know what came over me.  This is an isolated incident.”  You know only admit to what you have gotten caught for.  

BRENT: Right.  The Bill Clinton approach.  

SHANNON: Yea.  Yea.  Yea.  Exactly.  And we have always joked that every time he got caught, he was like “Oh, broken and contrite spirit.  Oh, I am so remorseful for my actions.”  Yea because you only caught him doing that one thing, you didn’t catch him doing the 49 others things, so he is just grateful that he only got caught for this one thing.  … Again my family’s MO is only talk about what you actually, only admit to what they actually have proof of.  So whenever I would come to them like, “What happen then?”  I only have vague recollections of my Mom saying, “I don’t know what you are talking about.  You are not specific enough.”  So they just take that denial approach of “I don’t know.”  

Suzanne told me about the abuse that she suffered, when I was about 20 years old [2003].  I was at work.  She came to my work to tell me about a pastoral meeting that she had just left and every time we talked about the abuse she did to me it was always, “Yeah, yeah, yeah, what happened between us was wrong, and bad, shouldn’t have happened and everything; but it happened because of what happened with Dad.  Dad did it to me so I did it to you.  That’s just how it works.” 

BRENT: That’s taking responsibility! [sarcasm, laugh] 

It is important to note the extensive involvement by Covenant Life pastors.  They had knowledge of serial sex crimes committed by Jeff and Suzanne over long periods of time.  C.J. Mahaney was the senior pastor.  Loftness reported to him and worked for him.  He would have told Mahaney all about these abuses starting in 1996. 

Shannon wrote me about Loftness’ involvement. 

Friday, April 23, 2021
Shannon at 6:11 PM
John loftness had a ‘working file’ on my family.  He was our main pastor for many years. … John loftness was one of the pastors my parents met with.  I know this from multiple corroborated stories. 

Mahaney and Loftness should have instructed Truesdale to turn himself into law enforcement and Suzanne into Child Protective Services.  If they refused, the church should have been told and both excommunicated.  “God judges those outside.  Purge the evil person from among you” (1 Cor. 6:13).  Yet, there was not a chance of that happening!  By 1996, Mahaney and his staff had been covering up the sexual abuse of children for years.  This was proven in the trial and conviction of Nathaniel Morales.  Read this article. 

C.J. Mahaney, Covenant Life Church & the Conspiracy to Cover-up the Sexual Abuse of Children
Tuesday, February 13, 2018 at 12:42PM 

This is serious business.  Sexual predators don’t stop preying upon victims.  After Suzanne told Siri about her abuse of Shannon in 1995, she abused her again in 1997.  Suzanne was 19 and beyond the age of majority.  An adult under the law. 

April 21, 2021 at 1:13 PM 
Shannon
Suzanne moves out of my parent’s house October of 95.  She moved back in for a few weeks before moving to Carolinas sometime in early ‘96.  Suzanne moved back home the end of summer 97 when she was pregnant with her son.
 
April 21, 2021 at 1:15 PM
Brent
She abused you again when she moved back in summer 97?
 
April 21, 2021 at 1:16 PM
Shannon
Yes. 

Shannon told Todd Wilhelm the same thing. 

From: Shannon hippieshae hippieshae@gmail.com
Sent: Thursday, January 7, 2021 21:14 PM
To: Todd Wilhelm tlwdxb@protonmail.com
Subject: Re: Timeline 

Suzanne began molesting me by age 5 (1989) continued until I was 11(1995).  Suzanne moved out of the home after telling my mother about her molestation in 1996.  At some point after 1997 Suzanne again molested me when she moved back home with her newborn son.  

One cannot overstate the trauma done to Shannon.  And no one was helping her!  Her mother demanded her silence.  Her father was a predator and the CLC pastors (Mahaney, Loftness, et al.) were covering up his crimes.  The police were not told in 1996.  Child Protective Service were not involved in 1996.  The pastors never met with Shannon to ask if she was also abused by Jeff, not just Suzanne. 

Suzanne took advantage of these wicked circumstances and abused Shannon again in the summer of 1997.  She was 13.  Suzanne was 19.

Six years later (2003), Suzanne met with a CLC pastor (I’m not sure which one) along with Jeff and Siri.  That pastor learned of Suzanne’s abuse of Shannon.  Even then, no one reached out to Shannon to help her.  Instead, Suzanne left the counseling session and immediately went to Shannon’s place of work to declare she was not to blame.  Great pastoral counseling!  How devastating for Shannon!  

Here is what she told me in the November 2020 interview. 

SHANNON: Suzanne told me about the abuse that she suffered, when I was about 20 years old.  I was at work.  She came to my work to tell me about a pastoral meeting that she had just left. … “Dad did it to me so I did it to you.  That’s just how it works.” 

Here is what she wrote me recently. 

April 21, 2021 at 12:55 PM
They were in pastoral counseling for the abuse when I was 19 years old so that would have been in 2003/2004. 

Shannon also gave this account to Steve Wells who advocates for victims. 

On Tuesday, January 12, 2021, 12:43:37 PM EST, Shannon hippieshae <hippieshae@gmail.com> wrote: 

Suzanne left a counseling session with my parents and came to my work and told me while I was on the clock at my work.  She told me that she had just left counseling with Mom and Dad and she needed to tell me why it was a big deal and that what had happened to me by her was not the only incident in the family and that dad had done stuff to her.  I was at work and very pissed that she was telling me this when I couldn’t do anything about it.  I didn’t believe her at first because I thought she was trying to manipulate and lie to me to get something.  I spoke with my father soon after and he confirmed.  

Again, no one ever contacted Shannon to care for her soul.  That is damnable!  All this occurred when Mahaney was the senior pastor.  He knew everything.  

Now the plot turns even more sinister.  Susanne was not only abused by her father; she was also abused by her elementary teacher.  I referenced this in my overview at the beginning of the article. 

“Moreover, Suzanne was also abused by Steve Griney, a teacher in the Covenant Life School.  All this was known to Mahaney and members of his pastoral staff.  Rather than prosecute Griney or her father, Suzanne was told to “forgive and forget” by the Covenant Life pastors and their lawyer.”  

But there is more.  On at least two occasions these crimes were carried out in conjunction with John Loftness and Gary Ricucci.  I once considered these men friends.  Here’s some biographical information on them.  Both remain pastors and leaders in the denomination. 

John Loftness
- Principal at Covenant Life Elementary School in Gaithersburg, MD (1981-1986)
- Managing Editor for People of Destiny Magazine (1983-1989)
- Executive pastor at Abundant Life Community Church in Pasadena, CA (1989-1990)
- Pastor at Covenant Life Church in Gaithersburg, MD (May 1990-2007)
- Senior pastor at Solid Rock Church in Riverdale, MD (2007-2014)
- Senior pastor at Living Hope Church in Bowie, Maryland (2014-present)
- Board of Director for Sovereign Grace Ministries (Jul. 2011-Feb. 2013)
- Chairman of the Board of Directors for SGM (Apr. 2012- Feb. 2013)
- Regional Leader over Mid-Atlantic churches for Sovereign Grace Churches (2018-present)

Gary Ricucci
- Pastor at Covenant Life Church in Gaithersburg, MD (1979-2011
- Pastor at Sovereign Grace Church of Louisville (2011-present)
- Director of Student Care for Sovereign Grace Pastors College in Louisville, KY (2003-present)

Both men were named Defendants in all three versions of the lawsuit.  In fact, Loftness is the central figure in the conspiracy to commit and cover up the sexual abuse of children.  Ricucci aided and abetted Loftness.  Ricucci is Mahaney’s brother in law and a pastor on his staff today at Sovereign Grace Church of Louisville.  

These articles cover the allegations of fact in the lawsuit against them. 

John Loftness in Focus – Former Chairman of the SGM Board & Alleged Sexual Sadist
Sunday, July 14, 2013 at 5:32PM

Gary Ricucci & the Conspiracy Surrounding Convicted Felon, David Adams
Friday, August 2, 2013 at 8:11PM 

In my most recent article I said this about Loftness. 

UPDATED: Hush Fund Used by Top Sovereign Grace Leaders to Meet the Demands of a Sovereign Grace Pastor Whose Son Was Sexually Abused 
Saturday, April 10, 2021 at 8:13PM 

I believe Loftness is guilty of conspiring to commit and cover up the sexual abuse of children based upon the testimony of three victims (i.e., Jessica Roberts-Thomas, Heather Thompson-Bryant, Suzanne Truesdale) and nine individuals (i.e., Dominic & Pam Palmer, Tom & Lori Bridgwood, Peggy Welsh, Dara Adams-Sutherland, James Roberts, Jen Slovine, and Shannon Truesdale).  

In my interview with Shannon, I asked about Loftness, Ricucci, and Griney and their coordinated efforts and alleged crimes against Suzanne, Heather, and Jessica in the lawsuit. 

BRENT: What are your thoughts in terms of John Loftness, Gary Ricucci and who they sexually abused? 

SHANNON: I believe the lawsuit.  I talked with Heather Thompson.  Heather tried to get Suzanne to come on board with the lawsuit and she had told me about Suzanne being named without being named [in the lawsuit].  You know she was listed as an unnamed female.  And I kind of told Heather then, listen, you don’t really realize what you are doing but you are asking me to side with my abuser [Suzanne]…and I just cannot do that. … Now I have talked to Suzanne about the documents [lawsuit] and that she was implicated or whatever; and whenever I’ve had an interaction with Suzanne and asked her anything serious, I don’t believe her answers.  I don’t trust her.  I believe that she is a narcissist.

BRENT: So has Suzanne denied to you that she was in the room with Heather and Jessica [when she was abused by Griney]? 

SHANNON: She doesn’t remember.  She used too many drugs when she was in high school or when she was 18. 

BRENT: So she is claiming the amnesia defense [as it pertains to Loftness, Ricucci, and Griney].  

SHANNON: Yep. … But whenever Suzanne’s told me stuff like that you can see, “You are terrified.  Something happened and you don’t want to go there.  And you’re just not wanting to open up Pandora’s box.” 

BRENT: Right.  Exactly. 

A little background regarding the lawsuit is necessary before proceeding.  The Original Complaint was filed on October 17, 2012, the First Amended Complaint (FAC) on January 11, 2013, and the Second Amended Complaint (SAC) on May 14, 2013.  During that time span of seven months, I wrote 17 articles.  

On May 15, 2013, Plaintiff Heather Thompson-Bryant wrote me.  The SAC had been filed the day before.  I knew her parents, Chuck and Sandy.  

Facebook
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
10:07pm
Heather Bryant 

On behalf of myself and my parents, I just wanted to thank you for speaking truth and being willing to expose these men. 

As a family, we felt it was time to “own” my allegations and put my name to the accusations.  I knew I would be discredited, and even not believed.  But I have no doubt that the truth will come out.  It always does.  So now, my parents & I pray & wait for the ball to continue rolling. 

Thank you- sincerely,

Heather Thompson Bryant 

Thereafter, I worked closely with Heather in preparing an extensive report for law enforcement which I completed after seven months of intensive labor on December 20, 2013.  

Heather joined the FAC under the pseudonym, Paula Poe.  She decided to use her real name in the SAC to add credibility to her charges.  Before the FAC was filed, Heather emailed Suzanne in December 2012 wanting to talk about their childhood.  Suzanne called her immediately. 

During their conversation, Suzanne disclosed her abuse to Heather. 

Facebook
June 7, 2013
9:41am
Brent Detwiler 
Tell me again.  Did the CLC pastors like C.J., Grant [Layman] and Gary [Ricucci] know about [Steve] Griney in the 80’s or sometime thereafter?   

9:44am
Heather Bryant 
I have a strong feeling they knew about Griney.  I can’t say who, but a childhood friend [Suzanne] called me months ago [Dec. 2012].  She acknowledged being sexually abused, had a reconciliation meeting with her abuser [Griney], but became defensive when I brought up the lawsuit [i.e. joining the lawsuit] & then I learned she & her family are STILL at CLC.  Detectives know to interview her.  

9:46am
Brent Detwiler 
Abused by Griney?  When was the reconciliation meeting?  With which pastors? 

9:49am
Heather Bryant 
She wouldn’t say any details.  She became protective of “them”, said she wouldn’t “gossip” or resort to “bitterness”.  She is for sure an 80’s sex abuse victim from CLC who had a reconciliation meeting with her abuser.  That we know.  

9:50am
Brent Detwiler 
Did she indicate when the reconciliation meeting took place?  80’s?  90’s?  When was Griney removed as a teacher in the CLS [Covenant Life School]? 

9:52am
Heather Bryant 
If she confirms it’s Griney to detectives, CJ and company are going down.  Big time. I hadn’t talked to her or seen her in 20 years.  I emailed her back in December [2012] with wanting to talk about our childhood.  She called me immediately.  She didn’t confirm the year of her meeting.  But Susan & detectives have our email exchanges & Magee is contacting, if not already has.  I believe Griney was removed in 1990’sh. 

9:53am
Heather Bryant 
‘89/’90 I believe. [1990]

“Susan” is Susan Burke.  She was the lead attorney for the Plaintiffs in the lawsuit.  “Magee” is Detective Sally Magee.  She headed the investigation of Steve Griney for the Montgomery County Police Department in Maryland. 

There are two critical accounts in the SAC that cover the abuse Suzanne, Heather, and Jessica experienced together at the hands of John Loftness, Gary Ricucci, and Steve Griney.  They are found in paragraphs 59 and 90.  I asked Heather to fill in the blanks for me since she was a victim and an eyewitness.  

From: Brent Detwiler
Sent: Saturday, September 14, 2013 4:02 PM
To: Heather heatherjthompson@rocketmail.com
Subject: Two Other Girls 

Who are the two other girls? 

59.  On one occasion during the 1985/1986 school year, Defendant Loftness, Griney and a third person isolated Plaintiff Thompson along with two other girls attending the school.  Defendants took the children to a room within the school, and directed them to take off their underwear.  Defendant Loftness pulled a plastic rod along Plaintiff Thompson’s left leg and through her vagina.  He then began to hit her bottom. 

From: Heather
Sent: Saturday, September 14, 2013 4:11 PM
To: Brent Detwiler
Subject: Re: Two Other Girls 

One was Jessica Roberts-Thomas, already on the suit [lawsuit] and the other is Suzanne Truesdale - Siri & Jeff Truesdale’s oldest daughter (a few years older than me.) 
I’ve got more to tell you about Suzanne at another time.  

From: Brent Detwiler
Sent: Saturday, September 14, 2013 4:24 PM
To: Heather
Subject: Unnamed Girl 

Is “the unnamed girl” Susanne T.? 

90. During the 1985/1986 school year, Defendant Loftness, Griney and Defendant Ricucci brought Plaintiff Roberts-Thomas into an empty room with two other girls.  Plaintiff Roberts-Thomas recognized the girls, one of whom was Plaintiff Thompson. (The other is not being named here to protect her privacy.)  Defendants directed the girls to strip off their underwear, and lay across desks.  Defendant Loftness beat Plaintiff Roberts-Thomas on her bare buttocks.  Plaintiff Roberts-Thomas heard the unnamed girl crying, and saw Griney hitting her on her bare buttocks.  Plaintiff Roberts-Thomas turned over her shoulder to look for Plaintiff Thompson, and realized Defendant Ricucci had taken her out of the room.  Defendant Loftness continued to beat Plaintiff Roberts-Thomas’ bare buttocks, and then he inserted his fingers into her vagina. 

From: Heather
Sent: Saturday, September 14, 2013 4:33 PM
To: Brent Detwiler
Subject: Re: Unnamed Girl 

Yes 

From: Heather
Sent: Saturday, September 14, 2013 4:33 PM
To: Brent Detwiler
Subject: Re: Two Other Girls 

Suzanne admitted to me being sexually abused last December.  She refused to “gossip”, or remain in “bitterness” unlike the others (meaning me & whoever else.) 

She confided that she, and her parents, along with pastors DID confront her abuser.  She also said she reconciled & forgave him.  She wouldn’t confirm Griney, but I’m fairly certain.  Unless it was Loftness?  She told me which Christian therapist her parents took her to - Dan Allender who is now based in Seattle I believe. (He’s a phenomenal victim’s advocate!)  

When I told Sally, they called Suzanne.  She became extremely angry that she was being asked & actually told detectives that “she’s never been sexually abused.”  Detectives believe she is lying, but when a victim isn’t ready to come forward, if forced, it could trigger a whole gamut of psychological reactions; suicide being a concern.  I still think given time & the right kind of trained professionals (like the FBI) she’ll talk.  She openly talked to ME after 20 years.  She will talk- just not yet.  I have great compassion & understanding for this.  

Mr. Griney was suddenly fired around 1990.  I wonder if others confronted him & that’s how pastors handled it - my theory anyway.  

Also - several years ago a single mom used to drop her daughter off at the Truesdale’s for babysitting.  She suddenly stopped when the daughter said she was being sexually abused [a third victim].  This is a story I have been wanting to follow up on.  I will get on it.  

Jeff Truesdale is a photographer.  I have no memory of him, but I really hope he wasn’t a part of the child pornography.  His son Justin Truesdale is my age & was in my kindergarten class.  I’ve always wondered if he too was abused - Mr. Griney took my kindergartner class boys on a camping trip after my sleepover at his house [see paragraphs 60-64 in the lawsuit].  Disturbing. 

From: Heather
Sent: Sunday, September 15, 2013 1:40 PM
To: Brent Detwiler
Subject: Re: Two Other Girls 

Suzanne is an extremely abrasive personality, defensive, and most definitely has wrong doctrine [about forgiveness, reconciliation, bitterness, gossip, etc.].  I understand the defensiveness as a way of protection, but it shocks me when I hear my childhood friends day [say] they can’t “gossip”, or partake with bitter people.  Huh?!?!?  It’s also so upsetting that she, and likely other victims, truly believe their abuser relented to them so they find no need to report it.  It’s scary they believed that, but those pastors did a good job controlling the situation.  They did whatever they could to cover it up.   

From: Brent Detwiler
Sent: Wednesday, September 18, 2013 12:10 PM
To: Heather
Subject: RE: Single Mom’s Daughter – Truesdale 

Thanks for the clarification on your discussion with Suzanne. 

Please confirm you saw Suzanne in the CLS room with you and Jessica in Complaints 59 and 90. 

From: Heather Thompson
Sent: Wednesday, September 18, 2013 10:10 PM
To: Brent Detwiler
Subject: Re: Single Mom’s Daughter – Truesdale 

Yes- Suzanne is in both 59 & 90 

From: Brent Detwiler
Sent: Monday, November 18, 2013 4:07 PM
To: Heather
Subject: Griney’s Release from CLS and CLC 

Griney was released as a CLS teacher in 1990.  Any explanation from your dad?  

Sometime later Griney was released as the CLC children’s ministry director.  Do you know what year and for what reasons? 

Here is a photo of the Covenant Life School staff in 1986.  Principal Loftness is front and center.  Steve Griney is on the far right.  Griney’s wife Denise is to his left.  Loftness and Griney worked together in the abuse of children at the school as alleged in the lawsuit.

 

Fast forward five years.  Heather asks me about Jeff Truesdale.  Keep in mind, Suzanne was abused by Griney in 1985-1986.  She was abused by her father from around 1984-1992. 

In 2018, Heather wrote me about Truesdale. 

From: Heather Thompson
Sent: Wednesday, February 21, 2018 5:15 PM
To: Brent Detwiler
Subject: Re: Where do we stand on these cases..... 

Has Jeff Truesdale ever struck you as suspicious or trying to insert himself to know what’s going on?  What’s your opinion on him? 

From: Brent Detwiler
Sent: Thursday, February 22, 2018 6:30 AM
To: Heather Thompson
Subject: Jeff Truesdale 

Jeff likes to be in the know and he will insert himself.  Sometimes he is helpful.  Other times, not.  He thinks highly of himself and likes to be the center of attention.  Suspicious?  I’m not sure of your meaning but he is always trying to figure things out and it can be hard to know his intentions.  He feels entitled to information and will bargain for information.  He can be pushy and bossy.       

From: Heather Thompson
Sent: Thursday, February 22, 2018 12:20 PM
To: Brent Detwiler
Subject: Re: Jeff Truesdale 

My gut tells me he is either an abuser, or intentionally passing info on to help protect CLC. 
I figured you would see through him. 

In fact, Truesdale is an abuser and he has covered up crimes in Covenant Life Church for a long time.  I pray he gets right with Jesus Christ, comes clean, and reveals all he knows to law enforcement. 

This is what Shannon wrote me yesterday. 

Facebook
Wednesday, April 28, 2021 at 1:50 PM
I don’t know if it’s helpful or not but I was able to get confirmation that what happened between Suzanne and Jeff is in fact breaking the law.  Jeff instructed Suzanne to manually stimulate him while he manually stimulated her.  Fingers were used for digital penetration on Suzanne.  Oral abuse did happen also.

Facebook
Wednesday, April 28, 2021 at 1:52 PM
This is the similar abuse I endured.  I also remember much more of what happened to me specifically.

There are still more dots to connect. 

One of the Plaintiffs in the lawsuit is Dara Adams-Sutherland.  Her father, Dave Adams sexually abused Dara’s younger sister.  He was convicted and spent time in jail.  You can read about it in paragraphs 40-43 and 45-55.  Here is paragraph 41. 

41. On or about November 2, 1987, the daughter of David Adams disclosed to her mother, Peggy, that her father had been sexually molesting her from age 11 (1983) until age 14 (1986).  Among other abuses, David Adams was going into the daughter’s bedroom and performing oral sex and penetrating her digitally.

This is the same time Griney and Truesdale were abusing Suzanne.  Back to my interview with Shannon.

SHANNON: I am so amazed nothing happened to me inside of that church because I feel like one of the perfect victims.  I was groomed from a young age.  I was told to submit and listen.  I was homeschooled.  I had nobody in my corner that I could have gone to. 

BRENT: Right.

SHANNON: How did I escape only getting abused by one person?  That is amazing.

BRENT: It is amazing.  It is amazing because there really was a pedophilic ring going on.  There is no question about that in my mind.  How close was your Dad to guys like [Dave] Mayo, [Mark] Hoffman, Charlie Llewellyn, [Steve] Griney, and all those guys?  Did he know them very well?  Dave Adams? 

SHANNON: Dave Adams, yes, because back in the day.  I have a “Welcome to the World, Baby Girl!” when I was first born from Peg and Dave Adams.  I think we went over to the Adam’s house.  We would hang out with them.  The Hoffman’s lived in our neighborhood so we hung out with them. 

One more dot to connect.  This comes from paragraphs 61-63. 

61. Griney and Hoffman began to lick Plaintiff Thompson all over her body.  Plaintiff Thompson urinated on herself from fear.  Griney and Hoffman then took off Plaintiff Thompson’s underwear, and performed oral sex on her.  Defendants would alternate between screaming at Plaintiff Thompson and patting her on the head, saying she was a good girl. 

62. Griney then untied Plaintiff Thompson, and placed her naked body on a short platform.  He placed a strand of pearls and a pink feather boa around her neck.  He directed her to pose.  When Plaintiff Thompson failed to move, Griney climbed up on the platform, and began to poke and tickle Plaintiff Thompson to elicit movement from her. 

63. As Plaintiff Thompson moved about on the platform, light flashes repeatedly went off, likely as a result of Plaintiff Thompson being photographed [by a third participant].  Plaintiff Thompson perceived a third participant in addition to Hoffman. 

Who was this “third participant” in addition to Griney and Hoffman that likely took photographs?    Possibly Truesdale.  The photo historian for Covenant Life Church.  

I could say much more about the conspiracy that existed between John Loftness, Gary Ricucci, Steve Griney, Mark Hoffman, Dave Adams, Jeff Truesdale and others.  

Important Takeaways 

Here are some important takeaways from the evidence and testimony above. 

First, Heather, Jessica, and Suzanne are witness to the conspiracy by Loftness, Ricucci and Griney that involved sadism, voyeurism, and sexual abuse. 

Second, Jessica specifically testifies to Griney’s abuse of Suzanne.  She “heard the unnamed girl crying, and saw Griney hitting her on her bare buttocks.”  It’s inconceivable, this was the only time he abused her. 

Third, Shannon is witness to the crimes committed by her father who was close friends with these three men.  I don’t mean physical witness but witness against her father by virtue of the fact Suzanne told her about them and Jeff confirmed them to her.  

Fourth, the abuse took place during the same time period. 

Let’s review paragraphs 59 and 90 which involve the same people on two different occasions. 

Victims:  Heather Thompson-Bryant, Jessica Roberts-Thomas, Suzanne Truesdale
Paragraph:  59
Location:  Covenant Life School (Aspen Hill) – Room in School
Timeframe:  1985/1986
Age:  Heather – 4/5, Jessica – 7/8, Suzanne – 7/8
Alleged Abusers:  John Loftness, Steve Griney, Gary Ricucci
 
59. On one occasion during the 1985/1986 school year, Defendant Loftness, Griney and a third person [Ricucci] isolated Plaintiff [Heather] Thompson along with two other girls [Jessica & Suzanne] attending the school.  Defendants took the children to a room within the school, and directed them to take off their underwear.  Defendant Loftness pulled a plastic rod along Plaintiff Thompson’s left leg and through her vagina.  He then began to hit her bottom.
 
Victims:  Jessica Roberts-Thomas, Suzanne Truesdale, Heather Thompson-Bryant
Paragraph:  90
Location:  Covenant Life School – Empty Room
Timeframe:  1985/1986
Ages:  Jessica – age 7/8, Suzanne – 7/8, Heather – age 4/5
Alleged Abusers:  John Loftness, Steve Griney, Gary Ricucci
 
90. During the 1985/1986 school year, Defendant Loftness, Griney and Defendant Ricucci brought Plaintiff [Jessica] Roberts-Thomas into an empty room with two other girls [Heather & Suzanne].  Plaintiff Roberts-Thomas recognized the girls, one of whom was Plaintiff Thompson. (The other [Suzanne] is not being named here to protect her privacy.)  Defendants directed the girls to strip off their underwear, and lay across desks.  Defendant Loftness beat Plaintiff Roberts-Thomas on her bare buttocks.  Plaintiff Roberts-Thomas heard the unnamed girl [Susanne] crying, and saw Griney hitting her on her bare buttocks.  Plaintiff Roberts-Thomas turned over her shoulder to look for Plaintiff Thompson, and realized Defendant Ricucci had taken her [Heather] out of the room.  Defendant Loftness continued to beat Plaintiff Roberts-Thomas’ bare buttocks, and then he inserted his fingers into her vagina. 

It is scandalous that Suzanne lied to detectives about these crimes and her father’s crimes saying they never happened.  Her guilt is compounded.  Her father’s guilt is even greater.  He knows about the conspiracy to commit and cover up the sexual abuse of children in Covenant Life Church.  He should tell all!  Then turn himself into law enforcement. 

How does C.J. Mahaney, the Leadership Team, the Executive Committee, and the national Council of Elders of  Sovereign Grace Churches deal with all of this?   Simple!  They libel the victims and call them liars.  That has been true from the beginning. 

Executive Director Mark Prater Effectively Calls Victims of Sexual Abuse Liars on Behalf of All Sovereign Grace Leaders
Saturday, October 11, 2014 at 10:00PM 

It is true today.  Here are some excerpts from 2019.  They have not moved away from their universal condemnation of the victims or universal commendation of themselves. 

FAQ - Concerning Allegations Against Sovereign Grace Churches
April 12, 2019 

Let us say at the outset that we categorically deny the accusations of covering up abuse and protecting abusers made against our pastors.  To the very best of our knowledge, not a single pastor or staff member in Sovereign Grace has ever been guilty of sexual abuse or covering up sexual abuse.  

Another five of the plaintiffs made allegations of abuse that were purported to have occurred years earlier.  We have found no evidence to substantiate these claims, and we strongly believe them to be false based on any objective or good-faith standard of evidence. 

No pastor violated any law or requirement regarding the reporting of abuse pertaining to the claims in the civil lawsuit. 

The Leadership Team 

Mark Prater, Mickey Connolly, Tommy Hill, Bob Kauflin, Ian McConnell, Jeff Purswell, Rich Richardson 

These pronouncements were also approved by the national Council of Elders of Sovereign Grace Churches by a vote of 64 to 6 in 2019.  Effectively, that means it was approved by all the pastors in Sovereign Grace Churches.  They are all are guilty before God for covering up heinous acts and refusing to do an independent investigation.  

These are categorical denials.  

First they deny any pastor or staff in all of Sovereign Grace ever abused children.  Not Loftness, Ricucci, Griney, or Nathaniel Morales (who was on staff for nine months & sentenced to 40 years).  

Second, they deny any pastor or staff in all of Sovereign Grace ever covered up the abuse of children.  This despite the allegations of fact by all 11 victims and their families in the lawsuit and many outside the lawsuit to the contrary.  These allegations include being told not to report and being interfered with in their attempts to report!  

Third, five of the plaintiffs are liars including Jessica and Heather.  In another place, the Leadership Team calls the allegations “sensational.”  In other words, all five made up stories of sensational abuse.  That includes paragraphs 59 and 90 which means Jessica and Heather made up the story about Suzanne being with them.  All five victims are crazed lunatics in the eyes of the Leadership Team!  But lying by victims is extremely rare. 

Dr. Diane Langberg is one of the foremost experts on subject of child sex abuse in the world.  She is a “practicing psychologist and international speaker working with trauma survivors, caregivers and clergy around the world.”  

Here is what she says about victims lying.  This is common knowledge for all those working in the field including law enforcement. 

“Numerous studies have documented that it is rare for children or adults to lie about abuse.  When victims do lie about abuse, they tend to lie to protect their offender, not to get him or her into trouble.” 

I guess Mark Prater and the Leadership Team has never read the numerous studies!  New members include Jared Mellinger, Jon Payne, Dave Taylor, and Eric Turbedsky 

Fourth, “No pastor violated any law or requirement regarding the reporting of abuse pertaining to the claims in the civil lawsuit.”  What a deceptive statement!  It implies they actually reported when in fact none of them reported a single incident!  The victims’ families are the ones who reported to law enforcement against the wishes of their pastors.  Furthermore, the pastors in CLC repeatedly violated the mandate to report under Maryland law. 

Nevertheless, the Leadership Team maintains the innocence of all their pastors.  They love to play follow the leader. 

A Statement from C.J. Mahaney
May 22, 2014
 
Let me be clear about this: I have never conspired to protect a child predator, and I also deny all the claims made against me in the civil suit.  

Of course, these are the same men (except for Kauflin) who used a “hush fund” with devious intent to prevent pastor Randy Stewart from joining the lawsuit.  I exposed their extraordinary deception in this article.  President Mahaney was behind it all! 

UPDATED: Hush Fund Used by Top Sovereign Grace Leaders to Meet the Demands of a Sovereign Grace Pastor Whose Son Was Sexually Abused 
Saturday, April 10, 2021 at 8:13PM 

The Leadership Team also refused to do an independent investigation (including Kauflin) despite the appeal of leaders around the nation (e.g. Al Mohler, the Editorial Staff of Christianity Today, Rachael Denhollander).  They said it was “impossible” and would “dishonor Christ and harm the cause of the gospel.”  That is absurd.  They have rightly been ridiculed for this bogus claim.  

Nevertheless, they continue to refuse an independent investigation.  This resulted in 11 churches leaving over the matter in 2019 and 2020 and forming a new denomination.    

The Sovereign Grace Leadership Team Rejects an Independent Investigation of Sexual Abuse Insisting It Would “Dishonor Christ and Harm the Cause of the Gospel.” Rachael Denhollander Responds. So Do I.
Wednesday, April 17, 2019 at 6:52PM
 
Sovereign Grace Leadership Team Says Independent Investigation of Child Abuse Is Impossible – Three Prominent Sovereign Grace Churches Publicly Disagree
Thursday, June 6, 2019 at 7:57PM 

Of course, refusing an independent investigation is a necessity for them.  They must reject any professional probe because of their pervasive guilt.  Men would go to jail in the wake.  Conspirators would be revealed.  Pastors would be forced to step down.  The 40 year history of covering up sex crimes by C.J. Mahaney going back to Charles Schmitt in 1980 would be exposed.  Sovereign Grace Churches, Inc. would come to an end.  

Conclusion 

I’ve known about Griney’s abuse of Suzanne for eight years (since Sept. 2013) but this is the first time I’ve written about it using Suzanne’s name.  And until now, no one knew about Jeff’s and Susanne’s crimes or about Loftness and other pastors covering them up.  

All this has come about because Shannon spoke out and in a proper manner.  Her voice adds considerable weight to the evidence against Sovereign Grace.  

My heart goes out to her.  She has suffered so much at the hands of her father, mother, sister, and pastors at Covenant Life Church with the exception of Isaac Hydoski who befriended her. 

I am glad she is still alive and hope and pray this article assists her in recovering from the trauma and suffering she has experienced by the grace of Christ for the glory of God.  

Thank you Shannon!

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